"It was 20 years ago today,
That Gordon Bacon taught the team to play"
It was on April 6,1981 that Gordon Bacon scored an unbeaten
55 in a match-winning eighth-wicket partnership of 60 to give Little Sai Wan victory over HKCC Taverners in the Rothmans Cup final at
Wongneichong Gap.

Later that summer Ian Botham transformed the Ashes series at
Headingley from July 18 to 21 as England beat Australia 3-1, with
Two Tests drawn.Not everybody can remember Botham's 10 colleagues (*see footnote) but eight of the LSW XI teamed up again for a nostalgic
get-together on atour to Taunton from July 31 to August 2, 2001.
It was Tony Turner, captain of the LSW double-winning team of 1981,
who was the inspiration behind the tour. He contacted Peter Anderson,
the former Colony captain who is now chief executive at Somerset CCC,
and arranged three matches against Heathcote CC at Tiverton, Seaton CC
and Somerset Veterans at the County Ground at Taunton.
Geoff Lever, the 1981 wicket-keeper, and all-rounder Gopal Lalchandani were enthusiastic supporters of the tour and they were joined by Malcolm Grubb, Richard Flood, Chris Wrigglesworth and Bacon. The only absentees were Curly Pearce and Col Metcalf, who both live in Australia, and Ram Lalchandani, who now lives in New York. To make
Up the numbers on tour there were key members of other successful LSW
Teams of the past - Dave Gilliland from the late 70s, Neil Brodie, Tony
Penny, Keith Johnston and Alan Scott from the early 80s and Rizwan
Farouq, the baby of the group, from the late 80s.

To provide slightly younger legs there was a quartet of second
generation players, too - Harry Flood, Richard Grubb, Ross
Johnston and Raid Farouq - and a bevy of beauties provided the
glamour - Ina Farouq, Lesley and Gill Bacon (plus Joseph and Hannah), Sue Grubb, Monika Lalchandani and Tanya Wrigglesworth. Amazingly all the travel plans worked out, with the exception of Alan Scott's delayed arrival which meant he arrived at the same time as the rain and missed out on playing. He didn't have much of an excuse about
the distance he had to travel, from Kent, as the other players pitched
up from New Zealand, Hong Kong, China, Bangladesh, Bosnia and various
parts of England. Peter Anderson's best-laid plans to provide entertainment at the Somerset headquarters in Taunton were thwarted. On Monday, championship-chasing Somerset were due to play the fourth day of their match against Glamorgan, but they wrapped it all up with an
innings win with a day to spare. Alternative arrangements were speedily made, with golf and an indoor net for some, and an interminable train journey to the back of beyond and back for others.

*The England XI at Headingley for the Third Test was: GA Gooch, G
Boycott, JM Brearley (captain), DI Gower, MW Gatting, P Willey, IT
Botham, RW Taylor, GR Dilley, CM Old and RGD Willis. The all-star
Taverners team representing HKCC in the Rothmans Cup final was: Peter Davies, John Hollioake (father of future England players Adam and Ben), Andy Lorimer,Martin Sabine, Mike Walsh, Peter Olsen, Jim Hughes, Nick
Tonkinson, Terry Smith, Bob Toes and Dennis Way. Dermot Reeve (Sussex, Warwickshire and England) had scored 83 as Vagabonds were beaten in the semi-final when Geoff Lever hit a six to secure a one-wicket triumph.
And the main event of the week, the chance to play on the County Ground on Thursday, was washed out and replaced by extended farewells over lunch and dinner.Tuesday had also dawned wet and grey in Taunton. The chosen XI for the afternoon encounter at Tiverton viewed the conditions with frustration or with a sense of deliverance. However, by the time the coach departed (spot on time at 12.00 exactly) it had cleared up and the team looked resplendent in shirts and caps sponsored by Gopal. When the creaking bodies shuffled off the coach an hour later they were greeted by fine weather and a glorious parkland ground. They were also greeted by more old familiar faces - Arthur Ruddock, ex-CSOS, and Nigel Grandfield, ex-KCC and St Georges, who was to umpire.It may have been a mistake to allow an hour for the warm-up as some players did look to be a spent force by the time they had hit half-a-dozen deliveries on the artificial wicket. It was noted that one boundary was delightfully short - but the other side required long-distance specs forthe majority of the players.

Captain for the day was Rizwan, who was keen and ready for action and the enthusiasm of his troops rallied as start-time approached. Morale rose even more when the tourists found they were batting first on a hot and sticky afternoon. Then they realised that somebody had to go
in to bat with Riz. Malcolm Grubb went out and proceeded to play and miss repeatedly to lively opening bowler Latchem (a left-hander's speciality). Unfortunately Rizwan, having scored a quick 16, cut powerfully straight at gully's face and he parried the ball to protect his nose and then collected the rebound. Grubb then took a hand as he tested both Gilliland and Turner between the wickets. Surprisingly, both had not maintained the serious regimen of physical training expected of LSW over-50s over the past 20 years, and neither passed the test and were run out. Grubb earned a healthy fine from fines master Wrigglesworth. Gopal Lalchandani then turned back the clock, but unfortunately too far. It was when he was about eight that he last came in and got out for nought. He was caught at slip when the ball ran from the fielder's right hand along his arm to be caught in the crook of his left elbow. Neil Brodie and Grubb then put on a half-century stand - somethingthey never did in their prime at LSW - with Grubb hitting two sixes over the tiny leg-side boundary plus 11 fours in an innings of 72, while Brodie scored 24. Bacon arrived at the wicket with an air of high expectation and a solitary cry of "Come on, dad" which hadn't been heard on a cricket field for 20 years. However, he nicked a catch behind and was soon on his way back to resume his duties as grandfather. He hadn't missed much of the conversation and could continue where he had left off.

The rest of the innings fell away a bit, with Tony Penny cracking asix and Keith Johnston a four, but not much else. The final tally was 164. Turner and Lalchandani both began with maiden overs, but the Home team then constructed a 50-run stand for the first wicket with Sienesi driving powerfully. Nigel Grandfield mercifully ended the assault By granting a plaintive appeal for lbw, and the fielding highlight was when Gillilland amazed everybody (most of all himself) by holding onto a difficult running catch over his right shoulder to dismiss Sienese for 47.

That catch was unusual, as other skied opportunites were Repeatedly declined with alacrity.It was noticeable how the West Country burr seems to have Antipodean tones, as Aussie Joel Charles brought matters to an early conclusion by hammering Gopal high over the pavilion. The home team had won by five wickets and the tourists were left with plenty of talking time.
"If only" was the starter of most of the accounts of the match, with run outs and dropped catches soon described. Scones and clotted cream, home-made cakes, sandwiches and tea, followed by beer - the ideal conclusion to a day's cricket on an English ground. Then the coach whisked LSW back to The Corner House Hotel,

By which time the conversation had mellowed somewhat and was based on
How close we had been to success; indeed, we wuz robbed.The Wednesday match was on the south coast of Devon at Seaton, Peter Anderson's home club and next door to his home in Beer, the Delightfully named village high on the cliffs running down to the sea. This time the home side batted first, and there was a similar pattern of play. TT and Neil Brodie produced tight opening spells, Grubb took a couple of wickets, and a few catches were dropped. Another Aussie, this time Lee Parsons, cracked 71 until Keith Johnston cleverly induced him to be caught on the very edge of the long-on boundary. After hitting the sticks to dismiss Mike Wheeler for 32 Johnston, who had also held onto a catch, was in buoyant mood, but Anderson arrived to spoil that with 20 off his last over. Peter was 34 not out and the total 213 for eight at the end of the 40 overs, with Keith wondering whether to shout about his figures of 4-0-44-2 or keep quiet.

Rizwan and Grubb put on 32 for the first wicket before the Latter played and got a nick behind. Then Harry Flood helped Rizwan add 81 before Wheeler ran through the middle order with five wickets. The final touch was typical of Peter Anderson's stage management. The tourists had 12 men, Seaton were one short, so 15-year-old Richard Grubb turned out for the home team. Peter gave him a bowl and, after taking some tap in his second over, left him on. Rizwan was on 94, having hit 16 fours, when Richard bowled him.

A flashback finale with Richard Flood and Wrigglesworth in fleet-footed partnership left the final score on 189 for eight, and defeat by 24 runs. The "if onlys" this time centred on Anderson's last-over Assault and, of course, the dropped catches. Once again, however, wonderful hospitality set up a golden Evening of chat and reminiscence. Sybil Anderson, complete with help from daughters Jane and Emma and their cousin Jane, turned out dishes Of cottage pie and all the trimmings. Players recalled when their trousers were stained by grass, and not just by gravy.

The fact that eight of the opposition were under 20 boosted Optimism that Thursday's more senior opponents would provide an even contest, but sadly the rain interfered.And then it was time to pack the kit bag - in some cases, for the first time in a decade - and talk about "next time." TT was actually considering it. After all, in 1982 LSW did win the Rothmans Cup again, beating Vagabonds (and Dermot Reeve) at KCC.And the team? It was: Tug Willson, Richard Flood, Ram Lalchandani, Tony Turner,Chris Wrigglesworth, Gopal Lalchandani, Col Metcalf, Gordon Bacon, Malcolm Grubb, Sid Grant and Geoff Lever. Could they make a 20th anniversary reunion? Replies, please, to Tony Turner. And at the end of the tour in which only one of the three matches was spoiled by the English weather it was summed up by Mr M Loaf:
"Don't be sad,'Cos two out of three ain't bad."

Scorecards

July 31, 2001: Heathcote CC, Tiverton v Little Sai Wan
LITTLE SAI WAN

Rizwan c Latchem b Webb .......................16
M Grubb c D Vanstone b Ware ...............72
D Gilliland run out ........................................1
T Turner run out ........................................13
G Lalchandani c Blight b Ware ..................0
N Brodie c C Vanstone b Wheatley .......24
G Bacon c Benefield b Blight ....................0
T Penny c Latchem b Hopkins .................11
K Johnston c D Vanstone b Hopkins ......4
R Johnston not out .....................................2
R Grubb c and b Hopkins ...........................0
Extras ...........................................................21
Total (all out, in 37 overs) ......................164

Bowling: O-M-R-W
B Latchem 8-3-10-0
S Webb 5-0-25-1
J Charles 8-0-36-0
D Ware 8-1-40-1
P Blight 4-0-20-1
R Hopkins 3-0-10-3
E Wheatley 1-0-07-1

HEATHCOTE
J Sienesi c Gilliland b Grubb .................47
D Vanstone lbw b Grubb ......................17
E Wheatley b Grubb .............................12
D Ware c Rizwan b Brodie ...................25
P Blight b Bacon ...................................12
C Vanstone not out ..............................32
J Charles not out ...................................21
R Hopkins
C Benefield
B Latchem
S Webb
Extras .....................................................4
Total (for 5, 32.3 overs) ....................170

Bowling: O-M-R-W
T Turner 8-1-32-0
G Lalchandani 7.3-1-46-0
M Grubb 6-0-27-3
G Bacon 6-0-25-1
K Johnston 2-0-14-0
N Brodie 3-0-17-1

Heathcote won by 5 wickets
August 1, 2001: Seaton CC, Tiverton v Little Sai Wan
SEATON
S Pritchard c Rizwan b Brodie ...................16
R Warner c Lalchandani b Grubb .............19
B Copp b Turner .........................................11
L Parsons c Grubb b K Johnston .............71
P Petherbridge c Brodie b Grubb ................1
J Sienesi c K Johnston b Lalchandani......18
M Wheeler b K Johnston ..........................32
R Grubb c R Flood b R Johnston ...............4
P Anderson not out ...................................34
P Lawson not out ..........................................2
R Dyamont
Extras ...........................................................10
Total (for 8, 40 overs) ...............................213

Bowling: O-M-R-W
T Turner 9-2-16-1
N Brodie 7-1-20-1
M Grubb 7-0-35-2
G Lalchandani 8-0-61-1
H Flood 2-0-19-0
K Johnston 4-0-44-2
R Johnston 3-0-10-1

LITTLE SAI WAN
Rizwan b Grubb .....................................94
M Grubb c Dyamont b Copp ...............16
H Flood c Grubb b Wheeler .................24
T Turner c Lawson b Wheeler ..............1
T Penny lbw b Wheeler .........................5
N Brodie b Wheeler ................................3
G Lalchandani b Wheeler ......................2
K Johnston c Warner b Grubb .............1
R Flood not out ......................................9
C Wrigglesworth not out ......................7
R Johnston
Extras ......................................................27
Total (for 8, 40 overs) ...........................189

Bowling: O-M-R-W
L Parsons 4-0-6-0
P Lawson 6-0-35-0
B Copp 7-3-16-1
R Warner 6-0-29-0
J Sienesi 3-0-23-0
R Grubb 6-0-36-2
M Wheeler 8-2-25-5

Seaton won by 24 runs

August 2, 2001: Somerset Veterans v Little Sai Wan at the County
Ground,Taunton
Match abandoned (rain)